DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has outlawed religious or racial discrimination, the state news agency WAM said on Monday, citing a royal decree by President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
The law is aimed in part at countering extremist militancy, particularly the practice whereby hard-liners label followers of other schools of Islam unbelievers, but it also outlaws insults against religion, class, race or ethnicity.
“The new law No. 02 of 2015 criminalizes any acts that stoke religious hatred and/or which insult religion through any form of expression, be it speech or the written word, books, pamphlets or via online media,” WAM reported.
No. 02 Law of 2015 bans any form of hate crimes that attack religions through any form, speech, written word, or via online media. The law aims to safeguard the community on the basis of and environment of tolerance and open-mindedness.
The new law also criminalizes any vandalism of religious symbols, rituals or holy rites. Citizens are encouraged to report any form of religious-hate incitement or racism to the authorities.
Penalties for violation of the various provisions of the law include jail-terms of six months to over 10 years and fines from AED50,000 to AED2 million.

SOURCE:   http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/779411